prescriptive

English

Alternative forms

  • præscriptive
  • praescriptive

Etymology

From Latin praescriptivus (“relating to a legal exception”), from praescript- (“directed in writing”), from the verb praescribere.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɹəˈskɹɪptɪv/, /pɹiˈskɹɪptɪv/
    • Audio (Maryland, US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪptɪv
  • Hyphenation: pre‧scrip‧tive

Adjective

prescriptive (comparative more prescriptive, superlative most prescriptive)

  1. Of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard.
    Synonym: normative
    Antonyms: (especially of grammar and usage) descriptive, proscriptive, nonprescriptive
    • 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational Grammar, Cambridge: University Press, →ISBN, page 8:
      For one thing, spoken language tends to be less subjected to prescriptive
      pressures than written language, and hence is a less artificial medium of com-
      munication (written language is often a kind of 'censored' version of spoken
      language). [...]

Derived terms

Translations

French

Adjective

prescriptive

  1. feminine singular of prescriptif

Romanian

Adjective

prescriptive

  1. inflection of prescriptiv:
    1. feminine genitive/dative singular
    2. feminine/neuter plural
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